AREJUG'S BLOG

Yahoo! Messenger - Instant messaging allows you to quickly exchange messages with your online friends. Unlike e-mail, instant messages appear as soon they`re sent. By downloading the Yahoo! Messenger application to your computer, you can send instant messages to other people from around the globe, send them files or have a voice conference. Other features include voice chat, file transfer, mail and stock quote alerts, sports scores, news, and much more. Here are some key features of "Yahoo Messenger": Photo Sharing Drag-and-drop photos into your IM windows and talk about them like you're there. LAUNCHcast Radio Make your own radio station and listen to music you like! Yahoo! Games Challenge your friends to classic Yahoo ! Games in the IM window. IMVironments Use interactive themed backgrounds in your IMs. Find, Add, Share Friends Easily get connected with the people who matter most. Yahoo! Search Search from your IM window, and get results both you and your friend can see. File Transfer Drag-and-drop files for real-time sharing and instant notification that they've been received. Address Book Synchronize all your contact information. Stealth Settings Make yourself appear online to some and offline to others. Audibles Let these animated characters say it out loud for you! Emoticons Express your feelings with these animated smiling faces. Yahoo! Avatars Represent yourself with a stylized graphical image. Display Images Select an image to represent yourself to your friends. Skins Select new visual designs or disable them altogether. Voice Make free worldwide PC-to-PC calls and enjoy great sound quality and voice mail. Take Yahoo! with You Stay connected to Yahoo! Messenger on your mobile phone. Webcam Share live video with friends and family around the world. Conference Exchange text messages with multiple people in one IM.

NEW DELHI (AP) — A plane taking off from New Delhi's main airport caught fire forcing all 252 passengers and crew to escape through an emergency exit, airport officials said Friday.The Air Mauritius pilot apparently braked suddenly as the plane prepared for takeoff, and this might have sparked a fire that spread to the jetliner's undercarriage, said Indira Gandhi International Airport spokesman Arun Arora.Rescue workers and firefighters rushed to evacuate the plane and put out the blaze Thursday afternoon.All 241 passengers and 11 crew on the New Delhi to Mauritius flight escaped safely through the emergency exit, although there was some panic, newspapers reported."The children were crying and the elderly were finding it difficult to get out of the plane," Rahul Gautam, an insurance salesman who was on the flight, told the Hindustan Times newspaperLocal media reported the accident was caused by a bird that hit the plane, but Arora could not confirm that and said the incident was under investigation.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Qantas jumbo jet carrying 345 passengers made an emergency landing Friday with a gaping hole in its fuselage after a mysterious "explosive decompression," officials said.There were no injuries, but some passengers vomited after disembarking the Boeing 747-400, said Octavio Lina, Manila International Airport Authority deputy manager for operations.The cabin's floor gave way, he said, exposing some of the cargo beneath and part of the ceiling collapsed."There is a big hole on the right side near the wing," he said, adding it was 7½ feet to 9 feet in diameter.Flight QF 30, from London to Melbourne, had just made a stopover in Hong Kong. Passengers who talked to the media at the airport described hearing an explosion, and then oxygen masks were released."One hour into the flight there was a big bang, then the plane started going down," passenger Marina Scaffidi, 39, from Melbourne, told The Associated Press by phone from Manila airport. "There was wind swirling around the plane and some condensation."She said the hole extended from the cargo hold into the passenger cabin."No one was very hysterical," she said.June Kane of Melbourne described how parts of the plane's interior broke apart in the depressurized cabin."There was a terrific boom and bits of wood and debris just flew forward into first (class) and the oxygen masks dropped down," she told Australia's ABC Radio. "It was absolutely terrifying, but I have to say everyone was very calm."Emergency descentVideo shot by a passenger showed people sitting with their oxygen masks on — just-served meals on their tray tables — as the plane descended quickly to 10,000 feet en route to an emergency landing at Manila's international airport. Cabin crew continued to work, walking down the aisles and showing no sign of panic.Applause erupted as the plane touched down safely.Geoff Dixon, the chief executive officer of Qantas, praised the pilots and the rest of the 19-person crew for how they handled the incident."This was a highly unusual situation and our crew responded with the professionalism that Qantas is known for," he said.Qantas — Australia's largest domestic and international airline — boasts a strong safety record and has never lost a jet to an accident, although there were crashes of smaller planes, the last in 1951.However, the airline has had a few scares in recent years. In February 2008, a Qantas 717 with 84 passengers on board sustained substantial damage in a heavy landing in Darwin, Australia.In addition, union engineers — who have held several strikes this year to demand pay raises — say that safety is being compromised by low wages and overtime work.Explosive decompressionA report by the Manila International Airport Authority, quoting pilot John Francis Bartels, said the plane on Friday suffered an "explosive decompression." Australia's air-safety investigator said an initial investigation suggested "a section of the fuselage separated."The passengers were taken to several hotels while waiting for another plane to Melbourne late Friday, Wantas said. The plane was towed to a hangar in Manila.Chief Superintendent Atilano Morada, head of the police Aviation Security Group, said his officers, including explosives experts, may assist in the airline's investigation."So far, they don't want us to touch it, so we will respect the aircraft owner. But we will make our personnel available if they need assistance in the investigation," he said.Qantas touts itself as the world's second-oldest airline, founded in 1920. As of December 2007, Qantas was operating 216 aircraft flying to 140 destinations in 37 countries, though in recent months it has announced it will retire some aircraft and cancel some routes — as well as cutting 1,500 jobs worldwide — due to skyrocketing fuel prices.

Variable pitch propeller is a special type of propeller with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change their pitch. If the pitch can be set to negative values, the reversible propeller can also create reverse thrust for braking or going backwards without the need of changing the direction of shaft revolutions.

Such propellers are used in propeller aircraft to adapt the propeller to different thrust levels and air speeds so that the propeller blades don't stall, hence deteriorating the propulsion system's efficiency. Especially for cruising, the engine can operate in its most economical range of rotational speeds. With the exception of going into reverse for braking after touch-down, the pitch is usually controlled automatically without the pilot's intervention. A propeller with a controller that adjusts the blades' pitch so that the rotational speed always keeps the same is called a constant speed propeller.

This book is recognised as the definitive insight into the complex world of gas turbine technology. Written by Rolls-Royce engineers it provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to the workings of the gas turbine.

High–quality and detailed illustrations are featured throughout the book as it takes you on a journey from the theory of jet propulsion to today’s advanced products and provides insights into tomorrow’s technology.

Although primarily aimed at engineers and engineering students, the Jet Engine Book provides a fascinating read for anyone interested in the workings of one of the world’s most complex and technologically demanding products.

A consortium of European designers and companies are working on a radical redefinition of what a general aviation aircraft is. Modeled after a tuna, the SmartFish flies without slats, spoilers or flaps.

The SmartFish project intends to create a totally new kind of airplane type that can be used for everything from light sport aircraft to business jets to commercial puddle jumpers that carry up to 20 passengers. The goals include fuel economy, safety, visual beauty and a minimization of moving parts. Who's involved? According to the SmartFish web site:

The SmartFish proof of concept will be realized in collaboration with following companies: Extra (world leader in aerobatic aircraft) for system integration and test flights, Leichtwerk for interpretation statics and dynamics, LTB Borowski for composite manufacturing, Liebherr Aerospace for Landing Gear System development, DLR (German Aerospace Center) for flutter analysis and inlet optimization, RUAG Aerospace for wind tunnel testing, and EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (they did a great job for Alinghi) for overall design optimization.

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The objective of team SmartFish is to develop and commercialise a revolutionary general aviation aircraft technology that is highly innovative in terms of safety, economy and emotion. This technology can be used for a wide range of applications, from UAV to high performance sports planes to business jets that can accommodate up to 20 passengers.

The SmartFish proof of concept will be realized in collaboration with following companies: Extra(world leader in aerobatic aircraft) for system integration and test flights, Leichtwerk for interpretation statics and dynamics, LTB Borowskifor composite manufacturing, Liebherr Aerospacefor Landing Gear System development, DLR(German Aerospace Center) for flutter analysis and inlet optimization, RUAG Aerospacefor wind tunnel testing, and EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (they did a great job for Alinghi) for overall design optimization.

SmartFish differs from conventional aircraft by its innovative aerodynamic design, while relying on standard technologies for building materials and propulsion.

Backed through results from preliminary wind tunnel tests and scale model flight data we believe that a SmartFish aircraft has many potential advantages over conventional aircraft of comparable size and propulsion system, such as improved efficiency (per freight transported) and a much bigger internal volume. Because of the simplicity of the design we anticipate that manufacturing costs (for design and assembly), maintenance costs, and operating costs will be potentially lower than those for conventional aircraft.

Building and producing an entirely new form of aircraft (and in our case selling the ip and design rights) requires imagination, courage and determination. That’s why we want to get your support for this visionary project. You can help us make SmartFish happen.

As a contracting state, the Government of Malaysia ratifies the Chicago Convention by the Laws of Malaysia, Civil Aviation Act (Amendment) 2003. It extends the Government control on the nations’ civil aviation activities and is the law of the land. The regulations prescribed under the Act are found in Malaysian Civil Airworthiness Regulations (MCAR) 1996 enacted on 1st April, 1996.Prior to the MCAR, the British Air Navigation Order (ANO) was adopted as the source of Malaysian civil aviation regulations. Of our interest is that the current UK law of the land is ANO 2000

The conduct of civil aviation in Malaysia falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport. The Ministry of Transport has delegated its powers to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA). A Director General (DGCA) who reports to the Minister of Transport heads the DCA. The DGCA may delegate any of his powers to any person as he sees fit.

Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-decker, four-engined airliner manufactured by Airbus S.A.S. It first flew on April 27, 2005, from Toulouse, France. Commercial flights should begin in 2006 after 15 months of testing. During much of its development the aircraft was known as the Airbus A3XX.

The A380 is now the largest passenger airliner, topping the Boeing 747, which was the largest for 35 years. However, the Antonov An-225 retains the record of being the world's largest commercial aircraft. The media has termed the A380 a "superjumbo". The first A380 prototype was unveiled during a ceremony in Toulouse, on January 18, 2005. Its manufacturer's serial number is 001, and is registered as F-WWOW.

DesignThe new Airbus will initially be sold in two versions: the A380-800, carrying 555 passengers in a three-class configuration or up to 800 passengers in a single-class economy configuration. Expected range for the -800 model is 8,000 nautical miles (14,800 km). The second model, the A380-800F dedicated freighter, will carry 150 tonnes of cargo 5,600 nautical miles (10,400 km).

CockpitMockup of the flight deck. Airbus made the cockpit layout, procedures, and handling characteristics similar to those of other Airbus aircraft to reduce crew training costs. Accordingly, the A380 features a glass cockpit and side-stick flight controller driving the airplane by fly-by-wire technology.

EnginesEither the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP7200 turbofan engines will power the A380. The Rolls-Royce Trent, the launch engine, initially gained most sales. However, the Engine Alliance GP7201 sales grew, now roughly matching those of the Trent 900.

AmenitiesInitial publicity has stressed the A380's space and comfort, allowing for relaxation areas, bars, duty free shops, and the like. The only A380 customer likely to order such is Virgin Atlantic, which has a bar in business class on most of its newer airliners and announced plans to include casinos on their A380s. Similar items were proposed in the past when large aircraft were announced but airlines have always opted for more seats to lower ticket costs. Given the history of the airline industry, the A380 will significantly expand the improvements that the 747 made, more seats and lower seat-distance costs, while providing wider seats and better amenities. With 555 passengers, the A380 represents a 35 % increase over the 747-400 in standard three-class configuration, along with a nearly 50% larger cabin volume meaning much more space per passenger. Some airports have planned terminal reconfigurations to facilitate loading and unloading from the A380's double decker design.

ConstructionAirbus operates 16 manufacturing sites across Europe, most of which produce parts for the new A380 airliner. First, the front and rear sections of the fuselage are loaded on an Airbus RORO ship, Ville de Bordeaux, in Hamburg, northern Germany, and are shipped to the United Kingdom. There the huge wings, which are manufactured at Filton in Bristol and Broughton in north Wales, are transported by barge to Mostyn docks where the ship adds them to its cargo. In Saint-Nazaire, western France, the ship trades the fuselage sections from Hamburg for larger, assembled sections, some of which include the nose. The ship unloads in Bordeaux. Afterwards, the ship picks up the belly and tail sections in Cadiz, southern Spain, and delivers them to Bordeaux.From there the A380 parts are transported by barge to Langon, and by road to an assembly hall in Toulouse. New wider roads, extra canal systems, and barges were developed to deliver the massive A380 parts. After assembly the aircraft are flown to Hamburg to be furnished and painted. Final assembly began in 2004, with first aircraft (MSN001) displayed in January 2005.

HistoryBefore starting the A380 project both Airbus and Boeing had focused on cornering the very-large-airliner market. Airbus and Boeing had worked together on a study investigating a 600+ seat aircraft called the Very Large Commercial Transport, but this cooperation did not last long. Although both manufacturers issued various statements, the unspoken consensus was that there was probably room for only one maker to be profitable in the 600 to 800 seat market segment. Both knew the risk of splitting a niche market.The simultaneous debut of the Douglas DC-10 and the Lockheed Tristar had demonstrated this: either aircraft could technically fill the gap between the Douglas DC-8 and the Boeing 747, but the market could only sustain one of the two. Eventually both companies left the civil airliner market. Boeing and Airbus decided to enter the new 600 seat market.

Boeing initially had the upper-hand. The 747, though designed in the 1960s, was popular and larger than Airbus' largest jet, the A340. For many airlines the extra size of the 747 made it a "must buy" for their highest density routes and the lower costs of a common fleet led carriers to buy additional Boeing aircraft. Boeing was considering a New Large Aircraft to replace the 747 and acquired McDonnell Douglas and their cancelled MD-12 design. Boeing studied the concept of the 747X, a version of the 747 with the forebody "hump" extended towards the rear for more passenger room, before dropping the concept. Development of the "A3XX" began in June, 1994. In 2001, it was re-branded the A380 with the announcement of Singapore Airlines as the launch customer.

DevelopmentAfter years of research Airbus decided to proceed with the 8.8 billion A380 project in 1999, the final budget settling at about 12 billion. The double-decker layout would provide higher seat capacities and, hence, cost savings over a traditional design.

The A380's wing has been designed to cope with a MTOW of 590t, albeit with some strenghtening required, allowing for a future stretch. The stronger wing and structure is used on today's freighter version, the A380-800F. This approach sacrifices some fuel efficiency on the initial passenger model but the sheer size of the aircraft coupled with the significant advances in technology over the years should provide lower operating costs per passenger than the 747.

Maiden flightThe airliner took off for its maiden flight at 8:29 UTC (10:29 a.m. local time) on April 27, 2005, from runway 32L of Blagnac International Airport in Toulouse, France, taking off with a flight crew of six, 22 tons of flight test instrumentation and water ballasts.

The crew was made up of French test pilots Jacques Rosay (captain for the take-off and the initial part of the test flight) and Claude Lelaie (captain for the second part of the test flight including the landing), as well as three flight test engineers (Spanish, French, and German), and one French test flight engineer. With the recent Franco-German controversy over the leadership of EADS still fresh in mind, Airbus issued a statement to make it clear that the crew had been chosen not based on nationality, but based on competence.

The takeoff weight of the aircraft was 421 tonnes (464 US tons), or about 75 % of its maximum takeoff weight for commercial flights. This was the heaviest takeoff weight of any passenger airliner ever created. After takeoff the jet headed west toward the Bay of Biscay, then south over the northern Pyrenees Mountains and concluded with a low altitude fly-by over the town of Toulouse. The 233 minute flight involved conducting tests on its engines, hydraulics, and electronics, while the on-board test equipment recorded measurements for 150,000 different parameters and sent data back to computers on the ground. The A380 now faces another year of in-flight testing before formal certification and commercial use.

OrdersSixteen airlines have ordered the A380 as of June 18, 2005, including an order from AIG's aircraft leasing unit, ILFC. Currently, A380 orders stand at 159, including 27 freighter versions. Break-even is estimated to be at 250 to 300 units. Airbus CEO, Noel Forgeard, has said he expects to sell 750 of the aircraft. Official prices have been withheld but it is estimated at $264 million. Carriers often receive large discounts for volume or early purchases.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Will Provide New Solutions for Airlines, Passengers Responding to the overwhelming preference of airlines around the world, Boeing Commercial Airplanes' new airplane is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a super-efficient airplane. An international team of top aerospace companies is developing the airplane, led by Boeing at its Everett facility near Seattle, Wash.

Unparalleled Performance

The 787-8 Dreamliner will carry 210 - 250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometers), while the 787-9 Dreamliner will carry 250 - 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 kilometers). A third 787 family member, the 787-3 Dreamliner, will accommodate 290 - 330 passengers and be optimized for routes of 2,500 to 3,050 nautical miles (

4,600 to 5,650 kilometers).

In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 will provide airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. The airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today's similarly sized airplane. It will also travel at speeds similar to today's fastest wide bodies, Mach 0.85. Airlines will enjoy more cargo revenue capacity.

Passengers will also see improvements with the new airplane, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience.

Advanced Technology

The key to this exceptional performance is a suite of new technologies being developed by Boeing and its international technology development team. Boeing has announced that as much as 50 percent of the primary structure -- including the fuselage and wing -- on the 787 will be made of composite materials.

An open architecture will be at the heart of the 787's systems, which will be more simplified than today's airplanes and offer increased functionality. For example, the team is looking at incorporating health-monitoring systems that will allow the airplane to self-monitor and report maintenance requirements to ground-based computer systems.

Boeing has selected General Electric and Rolls-Royce to develop engines for the new airplane. It is expected that advances in engine technology will contribute as much as 8 percent of the increased efficiency of the new airplane, representing a nearly two-generation jump in technology for the middle of the market.

Another improvement in efficiency will come in the way the airplane is designed and built. New technologies and processes are in development to help Boeing and its supplier partners achieve unprecedented levels of performance at every phase of the program. For example, by manufacturing a one-piece fuselage section, we are eliminating 1,500 aluminum sheets and 40,000 - 50,000 fasteners.

Continuing Progress

The Boeing board of directors granted authority to offer the airplane for sale in late 2003. Program launch occurred in April 2004 with a record order from All-Nippon Airways. Since that time, 58 customers have placed orders for 896 airplanes from six continents of the world valued at $151 billion, making this the most successful launch of a new commercial airplane in Boeing's history.

The program has signed on 43 of the world's most capable top-tier supplier partners and together finalized the airplane's configuration in September 2005. Boeing has been working with its top tier suppliers since the early detailed design phase of the program and all are connected virtually at 135 sites around the world. Eleven partners from around the world completed facility construction for a total of 3 million additional square feet to create their major structures and bring the next new airplane to market.

The 787 program opened its final assembly plant in Everett in May 2007. First flight is anticipated during the fourth quarter of 2008 with certification, delivery and entry into service occurring in the third quarter of 2009.

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Fact Sheet

Brief Description:The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is a slightly bigger version of the 787-8. Both are super-efficient airplanes with new passenger-pleasing features. They will bring the economics of large jet transports to the middle of the market, using 20 percent less fuel than any other airplanes of their size.

Funtwo played and recorded his cover of Canon Rock two years ago, in 2005. He uploaded his video onto the Internet. It was then snatched up by an amazed viewer, who promptly uploaded the video to Youtube under the title “guitar“. It was not long before it gathered popularity and speculation as to who was beneath the baseball cap. To date, it’s one of the all-time most watched video on the Internet with over 26 millions views.

Funtwo’s real identity has been shrouded with mystery, with many coming forward claiming to be him. The New York Times (a newspaper I hold in high regards), revealed Funtwo’s real identity to be a 22-year-old Korean guitarist named Jeong-Hyun Lim in an article dated August 2006.

As you can tell, I am clearly very impressed with the video. I am watching and blogging about it two years after I first saw it. Still… I am blown away every time I watch the video again as it is symbolic of the whole Web 2.0 Internet Revolution where the masses are empowered in the media.